Overview
- The September 8–9 events in Chiapas marked International Literacy Day and INEA's 45th anniversary and showcased government figures and international praise for recent gains.
- Federal officials said the national illiteracy rate fell from 4.1% to 3.8% after intensified action in 2025–2026, and reported more than 270,000 people learned to read and write while roughly 323,000 completed primary and about 42,000 finished secondary studies.
- UNESCO publicly praised Mexico's progress and awarded the UNESCO‑Confucio Literacy Prize to the Chiapas program 'Chiapas Puede' for expanding adult education in rural communities.
- Local efforts reinforced the national push: Huixquilucan reported a fall in local illiteracy from 1.4% to 0.8% after a May campaign that identified about 500 people, and a civic walk in Salta, Argentina mobilized more than 250 people to promote adult schooling at municipal centers.
- INEA, which the government says has helped more than 32.4 million adults complete a level in its 45‑year history, remains the coordinating body for this layered effort and its gains could widen access to jobs, civic participation and further schooling for adult learners.